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TYPOGRAPHY

We first began our research into typography by individually analysing the credits in the opening of existing films to see what the main conventions were and also to gain inspiration for our own. From this, we learnt that it is conventional for the credits to be sans serif, block capitals and typically black or white in colour depending on the colours of the setting or background. These conventions are particularly appealing to us because they allow contrast between the good and the evil and also have the option to be extremely bold on the screen.

During our research, we revisited some of the openings we had individually analysed, particularly those that were included in the films which our target audience said were their favourites. For this reason, we revisited World War Z, and The Purge. We also looked at The Silence of the Lambs and The Walking Dead so that we got a sense of different font styles. We like how the credits are capitalised because it makes them appear bolder on the screen and also the fact that the names are bolder than their role within the film. This allows the audience to focus on the most important information and also means that the people get more credit. We noticed this to be a convention within our genre so our credits will follow the same rules. We also noticed that the credits tended to be black or white, therefore ours will also be these colours.

We then began to research into the fonts that would be available to us for our credits and title. We felt that choosing the right fonts were very important as they are a huge part of setting the scene and creating an atmosphere in the film.

Below is a list of people who we will include in our opening credits:

  • Production Company

  • Actors

  • Music Producer

  • Casting Director

  • Costume Designer

  • Writer

  • Editor

  • Producer

  • Director

  • Title

Our Title

We found the naming of our film particularly difficult as we wanted it to be effective without giving away too much about the film. However, in the end we came to the conclusion that we would call it 'The Parted' because it links to the separation between the two characters when one turns into a zombie and the other remains human. I think this name is highly effective as it is mysterious and makes you feel uncomfortable because of the feeling of uncertainty you get from it. Below are the final three font choices for our title:

Living Hell Regular - This font is bold, eye-catching and follows the conventions we discovered in our research. The effect of blood, handprints and smears around the edge of the words clearly linked to parts within our opening, particularly the montage. Visually, the font makes you feel uncomfortable and disturbed, but therefore is a true representation of what the film is like.

Just Die Already - This font is bold but not as eye catching as the one above. The broken effect within it is effective as it suggests instability. Although this font is clearer in displaying what it says, we felt that it wasn't right for our film and was suited more to the crime genre.

Pahugena - This font is bold, eye catching and the broken effect makes you think that something bad is going to happen. It suits our genre as the imperfections make the audience feel on edge. The only criticism I have for this font is that the edges of it are rounded, so is not as harsh as the other two fonts.

Once we had our final three fonts, we conducted audience research with the other members of our class. We asked each individual on first glance which they thought best suited the horror/ apocalyptic genre. Out of 12 people, 8 preferred Living Hell Regular. This meant that we would use this font for our title. The remaining four people preferred Pahugena. Nobody commented on Just Die Already, therefore reinforcing our concern that it did not fit with our genre. From here, we will be able to find a font that matches Living Hell Regular to use for our credits.

Our Credits

We began to search for fonts for our credits with the intension of finding something that was sans serif, bold and easy to read. We didn't want to go for something as detailed and graphic as our title font because we thought that this would make it difficult for the audience to read as each credit will only be displayed for a few seconds. The three that we picked are shown below:

League Gothic - The font is bold and eye catching. It is also very easy to read, making it ideal for our credits. The sharp edges give it a more dangerous and unsettling feeling, therefore suggesting to the audience what the film may be about. Our only concern with this font is that it may be too bold. We want our title to stand out from the other credits to show its importance so our fear is that this font may distract from it.

Razor Keen Regular - Although this font appears irregular and gives you an uncomfortable feeling, it is not very bold and in some cases, may be quite difficult to read. We initially choose this font because we thought that the irregular size and shape of letters would make the credits look more eerie and creepy. However, looking back at it, I think it would be better suited to a ghost movie as the thin letters give you a sense of emptiness. 

Carrois Gothic - This font is bold and easy to read. It is a similar style to the first font however it is not as overpowering meaning that all of the attention will be on the film title. The sharp edges of the font make it feel more unsettling and the regular structure of each letter contradicts with the irregular events happening in the film. This will therefore disorientate the audience and make them feel on edge.

We came to the conclusion that we would use Carrois Gothic for our credits because it is eye catching without being overpowering and is easy to read. We also thought that because structurally, it is similar to the font we will use for the title, the audience will be able to make links between them.

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